Kale leads the charge into spring cooking

Kale's popularity continues. Once mainly an ornamental leaf that caterers used to line platters, now recognized as a superfood, kale shows up in everything from snack foods to cocktails.

This lemon-kissed dish of pasta and greens provides a transition from hearty winter eating to lighter spring fare.

Tips

•Red kale, green kale or spearlike lacinato kale — whichever is freshest or least expensive — can be used interchangeably.

•Wash kale well by swishing in a bowl of water to remove sandy grit from its curly leaves. Dry in a salad spinner or roll up in a kitchen towel.

•A shallot bulb may consist of several cloves. In this recipe, use the entire bulb. To remove the green sprout inside each clove, slice the clove in half lengthwise and poke out the sprout with a paring knife.

Pasta with kale in lemon sauce

Prep: 40 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

½ cup raw cashews

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons vegetable broth

Zest and juice of 1 lemon, about 1 teaspoon zest, 3 tablespoons juice

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 pound whole wheat linguine or spaghetti

1 large bulb shallot, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch kale, stemmed, thinly sliced

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

1

Cover the cashews with water; soak 1 hour to overnight. Place in a blender with 1 cup of the broth; blend until creamy, 1 minute. Add 1 cup more broth, the lemon zest and juice, turmeric, cornstarch and 1 tablespoon oil. Blend until smooth. Season with salt to taste.

2

Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water over high heat until al dente.

3

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the shallot, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until the shallot is soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in the kale and remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable broth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender, about 5 minutes.

4

Re-blend the sauce for a second. Drain the pasta. Add pasta and sauce to the kale. Turn heat to medium high; cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve, garnished with pine nuts.